Could the Canon 600mm f/4 lens be about to undergo some serious shrinking? The latest Canon patients suggest this may be on the cards.
An obvious problem with super telephoto lenses is a) the cost and b) the sheer size. For example the current Canon 600mm f/4L IS II weighs in at over 8.6 lbs and will set you back around US$12,999. As a result these impressive lenses are confined to professionals and only the most dedicated enthusiasts.
Canon Rumors has uncovered a couple new Canon patents from Egami, one of which could change the world of high quality Super Telephoto lenses as we currently know it. The more intriguing of the two patents lists the use of a ‘diffractive optical element.’ Currently, these lenses are a rare breed as there are only two DO lenses in Canon’s EF lens lineup: the 70–300mm f/4.5–5.6 DO IS and 400mm f/4 DO IS.
These ‘green-ringed’ lenses use specially-designed elements with diffractive coatings that allow Canon to shrink their size and weight, albeit at a small cost to image quality. From what we can gather, this new patent indicates DO optics are being employed in conjunction with the fluorite glass already present in the current version of the lens. We suspect the inclusion of this pricy glass is being considered in order to minimize the chromatic aberration and flare that can dog DO lenses.
Given the massive size of 600mm f/4 lens and the many hours a wildlife photographer can spend trekking to that perfect spot, a much smaller and lighter diffractive optics version of Canon’s 600mm super telephoto offerings would be a welcome option. Of course, these are just patents, and there’s no definitive word on when — or if — these lenses will see the light of day.
(via CanonRumors.)
Will Canon release a smaller, lighter 600mm f/4 lens?
No comments:
Post a Comment